Venison and chocolate

Edit 0 1 …

Chocolate and venison casserole

Serves six


Ingredients


1.5 kg venison (shoulder or haunch), cubed or cut into long strips

For the marinade

  • 400 mL red wine
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 celery stalk including the head, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • sprig of rosemary
  • sprig of thyme
  • 4 sage leaves
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon of juniper berries, lightly crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

For the casserole

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 100 g pancetta or dry cured streaky bacon, diced
  • 1 medium-sized onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons of pine nuts
  • 2-3 squares dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa solids

Method


  1. Put all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl and stir well.
  2. Add the prepared venison and stir, then leave in a cool place overnight, or preferably for two nights.
  3. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper. Strain the marinade and set aside.
  4. Preheat the oven to 150˚C / gas mark 3.
  5. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish and gently fry the pancetta until the fat runs and it browns a little. Remove and set aside.
  6. In the same oil, brown the venison, in batches, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Remove and set aside.
  7. Add the onion, season lightly and cook until soft.
  8. Sprinkle in the flour until it absorbs some of the fat, scraping up the caramelised bits.
  9. Add the reserved marinade and the raisins, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and stir until the sauce thickens and no longer smells of alcohol.
  10. Return the pancetta and venison to the casserole, leave it to bubble up, then add the spices, the salt and pepper.
  11. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meat is soft enough to cut with a spoon. Add a little hot water every now and then if it looks as though it is drying out.
  12. Toss the pine nuts in a dry pan over a low heat to toast.
  13. When the meat is tender, stir in the dark chocolate and leave it to bubble up again until the sauce is thick and shiny.